Safety device for container moving machinery



Feb. 8, 1938. s. R. ROSENDALE SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONTAINER MOVING MACHINERY Filed Sept. 16, 1956 I 4 m m 4 4 MY RN. 4 my W 4 mfiw Y M 5 I 4& m J u Y B I 11 m 1 6 F L 2 a w 9 W 2 vO m o m All O I 4 0 w ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONTAINER MOVING MACHINERY Stanley R. Rosendale, Mount Healthy, Ohio, as-

signor to The Karl Kiefer Machine Company,

8 Claims.

I shall describe my invention in connectionwith means for moving bottles, which may in turn be thought of as part of a bottle filling machine, it being understood that these are exemplary only of fields of utility for my invention. My invention will be equally applicable, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, to the handling and movement of all sorts of containers and to articles which could be crushed, marred and broken by failure of mechanical means properly to function.

I shall describe my invention also in connection with star wheel means for moving bottles in a circular path or for changing the direction of movement thereof. The star wheel in combination with guide means is well known; and it has also been understood in the art that there was a necessity for some sort of safety means operative to stop the star wheel if the bottles fail 20 properly to feed into the star wheel spaces, so as to avoid jamming and breaking of the bottles. The suggestion of the prior art comprised hinging a section of the guide and connecting the hinged section with a clutch located at a convenient point in the power transmission chain of the mechanism. This is operative to the end of stopping the mechanism upon actual displacement of the bottles.

It will be clear, however, that it involves certain operating disadvantages. When, for different sized bottles or containers it becomes necessary to change the star wheel and guide, a new connection between the hinged section of the guide and the clutch must be made. This is a matter of rather delicate adjustment, and the time consumed seriously cuts down the operating capacity of the machine. Also the safety mechanism operates only if a jam occurs at the hinged section of the guide.

It is an object of my invention to provide a safety means not subject to these disadvantages.

It is an object of my invention to provide a structure in which changing the star wheel and guide requires no change in or readjustment of the safety mechanism.

It is an object of my invention to provide a safety means which is sensitive to and operative upon the occurrence of any undue pressure against or resistance to the motion of the star wheel or its equivalent.

It is an object of my invention to provide a safety device which will stop the mechanism if a jam occurs anywhere around the circumference of the star wheel.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall of Fig. 2 (with the conveyor in section), the view being taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the clutch mechanism taken along the lines 44 of Fig. 5.

In Fig. l I have shown a simple means for changing the direction of motion of bottles 5 I moving along a conveyor 6. A guide means 1 aligns the bottles so that they may be positioned in the interspaces of the star wheel, and also serves to keep thebottles in these interspaces during rotation of the star wheel. The simple mechanism shown will serve to illustrate the principles of my invention it being understood, of course, that my invention is applicable to other mechanism, and in particular that instead of the small star wheel shown a much larger mechanism may be employed in connection with which the bottles, as they move about the periphery of the Wheel, may be subjected to various treatments, such, for example as cleaning or filling.

Referring to Fig. 2, the star wheel 8 is keyed or otherwise non-rotatably fastened to a shaft 9 which is suitably journaled in the frame ll) of the machine. A gear I l is rotatably mounted on the shaft 9 and may be held in position by a collar l2. The gear ll meshes with a driving gear,

l3, which through certain transmission means (not shown) and through a clutch which will hereinafter be described is connected to a source of power for the machine.

A plate I4 is bolted as at I 5 to the gear I I so as to rotate therewith; and it bears one or more projecting pins it. These pins engage detent means I! on a collar I8 slidably splined to the shaft 9. The engagement of the pinswith the detent means is the means for transmitting motion from the gear II to the star wheel shaft 9; and the detent means are tapered in form so that if there is resistance to the movement of the shaft 9 the pins l6 can depress the collar l8 permitting of the gear H.

the shaft to remain stationary in spite of rotation The collar is held upwardly by a lever 20, pivoted as at 2| to a bracket 22 on the bed' of the machine. An end of this lever bears against a thrust bearing 23 on the collar l8. The other end of the lever is urged downwardly by a compression spring 24 which may be adjusted by means of a set screw 25, threaded in the bracket 22, or by equivalent adjusting means. By'such means the degree of pressure exerted by the lever 20 can be adjusted so that the sensitivity of the safety mechanism can be made anything desired.

It is desirable to stop the mechanism upon actuation of the safety means, and I- shall now describe the provision made for this purpose. As shown in Fig. 3, a transverse shaft 26 is suitably journaled in the bracket 22 and in another" bracket 21. This shaft bears a pair of arms 28 for operating a clutch. This clutch is shown in section in Fig. 4. The main operating shaft of the machine is shown at 29 and is indicated as bear' ing a pulley 30, to which poweris transmitted for a the machine bymeans of' a belt 3| or otherwise as may be desired. The pulley is free to rotate on the shaft but is connected with a clutch part indicated at 32."A corresponding clutch part 33 is splined on the shaft 29 so as to be slidable thereon. This clutch part is operated by the arms 28 as will be readily understood. The particular form of the clutch is not a. limitation on my invention, and may be any desired. I have shown a simple form of clutch, having teeth.

The shaft 26, near its other end (as shown most clearly in Fig; 2),bears another arm 34.

This arm carries a detent 35 adapted to engage a corresponding detent on the lever 20 as shown in Fig. 2. The arm 34, is, however, urged clockwise by suitable means, and to this end I have provided a rod3'l attached to the arm 34 and passing through the bracket 22. A compression spring 38 engages the. bracket abutment 39 on the rod 31. In the position of the elements shown in Fig. 2,,the clutch is' engaged but it is maintained in engagement only by the lever 20, which, as before explained, acts as a latch. Should the left hand end of the lever 20 be raised (as would happen for example, if the collar ,l8 were forced downwardly by the pins 16) the clutch would be instantly disengaged as will be clear.

In order to provide for the reengagement of the clutch, an operating lever 40, is attached to the shaft 26 and'is provided with a handle 4|. Assuming that power is being. supplied to the pulley 30, the handle 4! acts as a starting handle for the machine. When it is thrown to the left in Fig. 2, the clutch is engaged and the arm 34 is latched by the lever 20.

Should one of the bottles 5 jam in the mechanism, the added resistance imposed on the star wheel 8 will cause the pins 16 to force the collar 18 downwardly, thus releasing the shaft 9 on which the star wheel is mounted. I At the same 1 time, however, the collar depresses the right ha'nd bears a bell crank 45, which is connected by a suitable linkage with the lever 20, so that when the lever 42 is rocked clockwise in Fig. 3, it will raise the latching end of the lever 20. It is Well Ipivot a lever 42on .The lever is provided what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a safety device of the character described a shaft to be driven, driving means rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar slidably but nonrotatably'mounted on said shaftand interengagement means on said driving means and on said collar, atleast one of said interengagement means being beveled so that relative rotation of said driving means and said shaft causes displacement of said collar axially of said shaft,

and means for urging said collar toward said driving means'with a predetermined force, said means comprising a lever and adjustable spring means bearing against said lever,- a clutch, operating means for said clutch including an arm, said armibeing located in a position of latching engagement with said, lever when said clutch is in motion-transmitting engagement.

2. In a safety device of the character described a shaft to be driven, driving means rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar slidably but nonrotatably mounted on said shaft and interengagement means on said driving means and on said collar, at least one ofsaid interengagement means being beveled so that relative rotation of said driving means and said shaft causes displacement of said collar axially of said shaft, and means for urging said collar toward said driving means with a predetermined force, said means comprising a lever and adjustable spring means f bearing against said lever, a clutch, operating means for said clutch including an arm, said arm being located in a position of latching engagement with said lever when said clutch is in motion-transmitting" engagement, and manual means for bringing said arm and said lever into latching engagement. 7 r V 3. In a safety device of the character described a shaft to be driven, driving means rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said shaft and interengagement means on said. driving means-and on said collar, at least one of said interengagement means being beveled so that relative rotation of said driving means and said shaft causes dis? placement of said collar axially ofsaid shaft, and means for urging said collar toward said driving means with a predetermined force, said means comprising a lever and adjustable spring means bearing against said lever, a clutch, operating means for said clutch including an arm, said arm being located in a position of latching en gagement with said lever when said clutch is in motion-transmitting engagement, and manual means for bringing said arm and said lever into latching engagement, "and additional manual' means for moving said lever to release said engagement. V

v l. In a machine of the class described a' drive shaft and a driven shaft, a clutch on said drive shaft, a connection between said drive shaft and said driven shaft, including a member rotatable on said driven shaft, a member splined on said driven shaft and having means for engagement with said rotatable member, said engagement means being such as to produce axial displacement of said splined member if said driven shaft ceases to rotate with said rotatable member, and a connection between said splined member and said clutch, comprising a lever, operating means for said clutch comprising a shaft, a connection between said shaft and said clutch, and an arm on said shaft adapted to be latched by said lever.

5. In a machine of the class described a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a clutch on said drive shaft, a connection between said drive shaft and said driven shaft, including a member rotatable on said driven shaft, a member splined on said driven shaft and having means for engagement with said rotatable member, said engagement means being such as to produce axial displacement of said splined member if said driven shaft ceases to rotate with said rotatable member, and a connection between said splined member and said clutch, comprising a lever, operating means for said clutch comprising a shaft, a connection between said shaft and said clutch, an arm on said shaft adapted to be latched by said lever, and a starting operating handle affixed to said shaft.

6. In a machine of the class described a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a clutch on said drive shaft, a connection between said drive shaft and said driven shaft, including a member rotatable on said driven shaft, a member splined on said driven shaft and having means for engagement with said rotatable member, said engagement means being such as to produce axial displacement of said splined member if said driven shaft ceases to rotate with said rotatable member, and a connection between said splined member and said clutch, comprising a lever, operating means for said clutch comprising a shaft, a connection between said shaft and said clutch, an arm on said shaft adapted to be latched by said lever, a starting operating handle aifixed to said shaft, and stop means for said machine comprising a handle connected with said lever so as to move said lever to release said arm.

'7. In a machine of the class described a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a clutch on said drive shaft and a connection between said drive shaft and said driven shaft including a member rotatable on said driven shaft, a member splined on said driven shaft and having means for engagement with said rotatable member, said engagement means being such as to produce axial displacement of said splined member if said driven shaft ceases to rotate with said rotatable member, a third shaft, an arm on said shaft for operating said clutch, a handle on said shaft and a latching arm on said shaft, a lever and means for pivoting said lever, one end of said lever engaging said splined member and the other end of said lever having means for interlocking with said latching arm, spring means for urging the latching end of said lever downwardly, an operating handle, means for pivoting said operating handle and a connection between said handle and the latching end of said lever for urging said end upwardly to release said latching engagement, said two operating handles being located in close proximity to each othe 8. In a machine of the class described having a frame, a horizontally disposed drive shaft and a vertically disposed driven shaft, a clutch on said drive shaft, a power connection between said drive shaft and said driven shaft including a member rotatable on said driven shaft, a member splined on said driven shaft having means for engagement with said rotatable member, said engagement means being such as to produce axial displacement of said splined member if said driven shaft ceases to rotate with said rotatable member, a pair of brackets mounted on said frame, a shaft journaled in said bracket, and a pair of operating arms in close proximity, one of said arms fixed on said shaft for rocking move-.- ment in one direction, the other of said arms pivoted on one of said brackets for rocking movement in a transverse direction, an operative connection between said last mentioned shaft and said clutch, a lever also pivoted on said bracket and having an end engaging said splined member, a latching arm on said shaft and means for effecting latching engagement between said lever and said latching arm, the functioning of said apparatus being such that a movement of one of said operating handles in one direction will engage said clutch and latch the latching arm and lever, while the movement of said other operating handle in a transverse direction will release said latching engagement, said latching engagement being also releasable by movement of said lever upon displacement of said splined member.

STANLEY R. ROSEN'DALE. 

